WA AHILA RIDGE TRIP I: VEGETATION SAMPLING

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WA AHILA RIDGE TRIP I VEGETATION SAMPLING LAB 5
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Purpose to identify relationships between
organisms and their environment.
Observation climate and vegetation seem to vary
at different elevations on the ridge.
15 plots (20m x 20m) have been established on the
ridge at different elevations

• Research Questions
• What kinds of plants and animal species are
  present and how abundant are their populations?
• Are different communities present in different
  areas?
• How do temperature and rainfall differ along the
  ridge?
• How do communities and populations relate to
  environmental conditions along the ridge?

Make careful measurements, your data will be
combined w/class data
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Directions to Waahila Ridge
START HERE
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• Bring
• hiking shoes
• water
• snack
• hat
• sunscreen
• light durable clothing
• data sheets from lab manual

• Check out
• on the front page of the Bio 265L website are
  some nice pictures of the plants well see
• www.biology.hawaii.edu/bio265L
• on page 5-9 of your lab manual is a partial list
  of plants and which plots theyve been seen in

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LOCATE YOUR 20m X 20m PLOT

• Find the center point of your plot

• This will subdivide your plot into four subplots
  (10m x 10m)
• Your TA will assign one group to each subplot

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SAMPLING VEGETATION WITH QUADRATS

• Within each of your subplots, you will randomly
  place 5 quadrats
• Obtain 5 random X-Y coordinates from your TA
• Find x-coordinate on lower axis of your subplot

• Turn 90o and find y-coordinate

• This is the lower left corner of your quadrat

• Repeat for the other four quadrats

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SAMPLING VEGETATION WITH QUADRATS
Quadrat 1 Place an i-Button Quadrats 2
4 Place Sticky Trap Quadrats 3 5 Place Pit
Trap

• For all Quadrats
• Measure soil depth at lower left corner of
  quadrat
• ID all plants in quadrat (If you cant identify a
  plant, place a small sample in a bag for later
  ID)
• Measure density of each species (
  individuals/m2). Each clump of grass one
  individual.
• Estimate cover of each species separately (look
  up and down some plants will be overhead). Use
  the Braun-Blanquet cover classes and record the
  midpoint. Dont forget cover of bare ground.
• If species overlap, count full area of each
  species.

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TEMPERATURE LOGGERS
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SAMPLING TERRESTRIAL INVERTEBRATES

• Pitfall Traps
• each group installs a pitfall trap in a random
  location of the
• appropriate quadrats
• dig hole deeper than container
• place cup in hole and flag location
• IMPORTANT smooth ground so cup is level with
  the soil
• place about 1-2 inches of mineral oil in the cup
• record location of cups
• enumerate and classify insects when you return
  for lab 8

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SAMPLING TERRESTRIAL INVERTEBRATES

• Sticky Traps
• Each group covers 2 sticky cards on both sides
  with a thin layer of tanglefoot
• Install a sticky trap in each of the specified
  quadrats
• Hang traps with twist ties so they dont blow in
  the wind

WARNING tanglefoot is VERY sticky, use baby oil
to remove glue
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SAMPLING VEGETATION WITH TRANSECTS
Group 4
Group 3
Group 2
Group 1
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SAMPLING VEGETATION WITH TRANSECTS
Each of these columns represents one individual
of a given species
3. In each of the boxes, write the length of the
transect line (use metric) that that individual
touches
1. ID each species touching the tape.
2. Classify the species as a grass, herb, or
shrub/tree
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SAMPLING VEGETATION WITH TRANSECTS
For example, heres your transect line
It intersects 5 individuals of grass species X
We need to note the length of transect line that
each individual covers
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CHECK Rain Gauge
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COMPILING DATA
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ASSIGNMENTS